This invention relates generally to a calibrated audiometer system, and more particularly to a system in which the earphones have an electronic identifying label, and to an audiometer configured to read the electronic identifying label to assure that a calibrated earphone is connected to the audiometer with which it was calibrated.
Audiometers are used for testing hearing acuity levels of individuals. For testing, precise tones or other stimulus are presented to the subject by acoustic transducers or earphones. If the subject detects the tones or other stimulus he so indicates by depressing a patient switch. The earphones are either connected directly to the audiometer by use of industry standard stereo jacks or through the wall of a sound room by such stereo jacks connected to the audiometer. An electroacoustic ear is often used to verify calibration and monitor the ambient noise level in the sound room where the testing is conducted. A stereo plug which is inserted into a receptacle is associated with each earphone. The problem which arises is that the earphones can be connected to an audiometer with which they have not been calibrated, or in a two-wire system even with an audiometer with which they have been calibrated, they can be switched or interchanged. As a result, extreme care is required to assure that an earphone calibrated with the particular audiometer is plugged into that audiometer and that the left and right earphones are each connected to the proper jack. There is therefore a need for an audiometer system in which the audiometer can interrogate a connected earphone to assure that the proper earphone is connected to the corresponding audiometer stereo jack.
The present invention provides a calibrated audiometer system in which the earphones have electronic labels which are read by the audiometer and recorded when the earphone-audiometer combination is calibrated and later read by the audiometer and compared to the recorded label to assure that the earphones with which it was calibrated are connected to the audiometer. The invention also includes an electronic labeled patient switch and an electronic labeled electroacoustic ear which are read by the audiometer.